Niger
general assessment: inadequate; small system of wire, radio
telephone communications, and microwave radio relay links
concentrated in the southwestern area of Niger
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity only
about 7 per 100 persons; domestic satellite system with 3 earth
stations and 1 planned
international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
Nigeria
general assessment: further expansion and modernization of
the fixed-line telephone network is needed
domestic: the addition of a second fixed-line provider in 2002
resulted in faster growth but subscribership remains only about 1
per 100 persons; wireless telephony has grown rapidly, in part
responding to the shortcomings of the fixed-line network; multiple
service providers operate nationally; mobile-cellular teledensity
reached 30 per 100 persons in 2007
international: country code - 234; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC
fiber-optic submarine cable that provides connectivity to Europe and
Asia; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat (2 Atlantic Ocean and 1
Indian Ocean) (2007)
Niue
domestic: single-line telephone system connects all villages on
island
international: country code - 683 (2001)
Norfolk Island
general assessment: adequate
domestic: free local calls
international: country code - 672; undersea coaxial cable links with
Australia and New Zealand; satellite earth station - 1
Northern Mariana Islands
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 1-670; satellite earth stations - 2
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Norway
general assessment: modern in all respects; one of the most
advanced telecommunications networks in Europe
domestic: Norway has a domestic satellite system; moreover, the
prevalence of rural areas encourages the wide use of cellular-mobile
systems instead of fixed-wire systems
international: country code - 47; 2 buried coaxial cable systems;
submarine cables provide links to other Nordic countries and Europe;
satellite earth stations - NA Eutelsat, NA Intelsat (Atlantic
Ocean), and 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note -
Norway shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic
countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, and Sweden) (1999)
Oman
general assessment: modern system consisting of open-wire,
microwave, and radiotelephone communication stations; limited
coaxial cable
domestic: fixed-line phone service gradually being introduced to
remote villages using wireless local loop systems; fixed-line and
mobile-cellular subscribership both increasing; open-wire,
microwave, radiotelephone communications, and a domestic satellite
system with 8 earth stations
international: country code - 968; the Fiber-Optic Link Around the
Globe (FLAG) and the SEA-ME-WE-3 submarine cable provide
connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth
stations - 2 Intelsat (Indian Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2007)
Pakistan
general assessment: the telecommunications infrastructure
is improving dramatically with foreign and domestic investments into
fixed-line and mobile networks; mobile-cellular subscribership has
skyrocketed, reaching some 88 million in 2008, up from only about
300,000 in 2000; fiber systems are being constructed throughout the
country to aid in network growth; main line availability has risen
only marginally over the same period and there are still
difficulties getting main line service to rural areas
domestic: microwave radio relay, coaxial cable, fiber-optic cable,
cellular, and satellite networks
international: country code - 92; landing point for the SEA-ME-WE-3
and SEA-ME-WE-4 submarine cable systems that provide links to Asia,
the Middle East, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 3 Intelsat
(1 Atlantic Ocean and 2 Indian Ocean); 3 operational international
gateway exchanges (1 at Karachi and 2 at Islamabad); microwave radio
relay to neighboring countries (2008)
Palau
general assessment: NA
domestic: NA
international: country code - 680; satellite earth station - 1
Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)
Panama
general assessment: domestic and international facilities
well developed
domestic: combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity is
approaching 90 per 100 persons
international: country code - 507; landing point for the Americas
Region Caribbean Ring System (ARCOS-1), the MAYA-1, and PAN-AM
submarine cable systems that together provide links to the US and
parts of the Caribbean, Central America, and South America;
satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); connected to
the Central American Microwave System (2007)